911 Suicide Son Save
Location: Helendale, California Date: March 11, 1993 Story Forrest and Susan Shanks had always tried to provide a good life for their five children. In the late 1980s, they moved to Helendale, California, hoping that the kids would get a better education and start in life. But on the afternoon of March 11, 1993, Forrest received a phone call saying that his seventeen-year-old son, Seth, had skipped school and someone had phoned in an excuse claiming to be Forrest. When Forrest got home, he was really angry, told Seth to get downstairs, and found out that his daughter, Shana, had also skipped school. He angrily told her to get off the phone and asked them what they were doing there and Seth answered in anger that he didn't know or feel well. "Up until the eighth grade, Seth was an excellent student. He was an honors student, but when we moved here that all changed," said Forrest. He forced him to call the school, but he refused. "I think Seth was angry at my dad. It made Seth feel embarrassed and humiliated," said Shana. Forrest called the school and angrily asked them why they claimed to be him. "They had screwed up," said Forrest. He then spanked Seth and Shana and told them to do their homework as a punishment. Forrest then decided that they all needed to cool out and he went back to his car to run an errand at a supermarket. Once he left, Seth snuck into his room, pulled out a 44 Magnum pistol, and loaded it. "I ran down to the store to get a six pack of sodas and at that point I was feeling very frustrated," said Forrest. Shana went upstairs to check on Seth not knowing that he had loaded a gun planning to kill himself. "I was calmed down, decided to go back home, and have the kids give me an apology," said Forrest. When he got home, he saw that Seth and Shana were not at the kitchen table and went upstairs to look for them. Shana told Seth that Forrest was home and he shot himself in the chest. Forrest immediately called 911 but Seth was still yelling at him to hang up. "Seth was bleeding from his chest and he told me that it hurt," said Forrest. San Bernardino County Sheriff's dispatcher Bob Duncan took the call. "Going through my mind suicide is so permanent," said Bob. He told Forrest to stay on the phone with him and that the paramedics were on their way. Seth stopped breathing and Bob instructed Forrest to do CPR. He did and Seth started breathing again. Bob told Forrest to follow up Seth's rib cage and check for a pulse. "I've had training in CPR and it's very hard to lose that under the circumstances," said Forrest. He was afraid to look at the wounds and Bob asked him if the bullet came out Seth's back and if he had blood in his mouth. Forrest told him that Seth was gurgling but there was no blood in his mouth. He had stopped breathing again and Forrest gave him four more breaths. Bob instructed Forrest to push on his chest and he wasn't breathing. Within 12 minutes of the shooting, the San Bernardino Fire Department arrived on the scene. Forrest was still on the phone with Bob at the time. He heard one of the paramedics say, "No pulse. Continue CPR." EMT Captain Mike Barber was among those who responded and placed Seth on the floor. "In our eyes from everything we had been taught, Seth was dead," said Mike. Sheriff's deputy Marie Span wrote the report on the shooting. "My initial reaction on any suicide attempt is always anger," said Marie. She found Shana crying and told her that there was nothing she could've done to stop him and that it wasn't her fault. While he was being airlifted to the hospital, Marie found a note on the bed under the empty holster. At Victor Valley Community Hospital, Seth was treated by emergency physician Dr. Dan Curtis. "He literally took his last breath when he arrived and we had to take over everything for him," said Dr. Curtis. While Seth underwent three hours of surgery, Susan joined her family at the hospital. They went into his room and he had a tube in his throat. "Somebody had asked him why he didn't run away and his comment was that I would come and find him. I got to find out that my children were afraid of me," said Forrest. Seth has recovered from the shooting though part of his damaged lung had to be removed. He and his family have undergone counseling. "I was just real angry and not thinking straight," said Seth. Every week, they went to family sessions. Recently, they got to meet dispatcher Bob Duncan and thanked him for all he did in saving Seth's life. "It's very easy to stay that if you do that, I'm going to spank you. We work everyday on being better parents, listeners, and understanders," said Forrest. Category:1993 Category:California Category:Shootings Category:Gunshot Wounds